"He was demoralised...": Anshul Kamboj’s reaction after Gautam Gambhir chose Harshit Rana revealed

The 24-year-old pacer Anshul Kamboj's reaction to India National Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir picking Harshit Rana over him as a back-up speedster has been revealed.

Anshuk Kamboj's coach Satish Rana revealed that the pacer didn't pay too much attention to the fact that Harshit Rana was selected over him, and he just focused on keeping himself prepared for whatever opportunity he gets.

Anshul Kamboj - AK47 Ready To Fire At Manchester

The Haryana pacer Anshul Kamboj made his Test debut for the India National Cricket Team in the fourth game of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 at Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday, July 23.

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He made his way into the India Test playing XI on the back of sensational performances for India A and for Haryana in domestic cricket.

Kamboj, who has a cool jersey with AK as the initials of his name and number 47, received his Test debut cap from former India wicketkeeper-batsman Deep Dasgupta ahead of the start of the play in Manchester.

He became the first Indian since the legendary Anil Kumble to make his Test debut in Manchester. Notably, Kumble made his Test debut at the venue in 1990.

Both Kamboj and Kumble have AK as the initials and 10-wicket hauls in an innings in First-class cricket. Kumble achieved that feat against Pakistan in 1999, and Kamboj reached the landmark against Kerala in 2024.

Overall, Kamboj became the 318th cricketer to play Tests for India and sixth after RP Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Karun Nair, Jasprit Bumrah, and Shreyas Iyer with a DOB of December 6.

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Getting picked in the team, we left the decision in God's hands - Satish Rana

Anshul Kamboj emerged as India's best pacer on the shadow tour ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. However, Harshit Rana was preferred over him as a cover for the first Test before being released from the squad.

Later, the selectors turned to Anshul Kamboj as Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep got injured and drafted him into the squad for the last two Tests.

Meanwhile, Anshul Kamboj's coach Satish Rana revealed that the young pacer worked very hard after returning to India and left his selection in god's hands.

"After coming back, Anshul bowled and batted a lot. He was preparing a lot. We thought, as his overall performance was going really well, he would get a chance. Anshul has ample experience bowling with the Dukes ball. The Haryana Cricket Association has played a huge role. He bowled with the Dukes ball after coming here. He worked hard on his batting as well," Kamboj's coach Satish Rana told Hindustan Times.

"He opened the nets as well. I spoke to him recently after he came back from the India A tour. We were just focused on putting in the hard yards and doing the hard work. Getting picked in the team, we left the decision in God's hands and the selectors. It was up to them, but we were always confident that Anshul will get a chance because of his strong performances in the domestic circuit."

He was demoralised - Anshul Kamboj's coach

Anshul Kamboj came into the limelight with his performances for Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and Haryana, but his journey was not completely a smooth one, as once he was "demoralised" and contemplated quitting cricket after suffering a bad injury right before the 2020 U-19 World Cup.

"He was demoralised. Because of his injury, he was not able to play in the U19 World Cup. He was really upset. The U19 World Cup is a big tournament, and it is a stepping stone towards international cricket. But he carried on, and now look, he is making his debut," said Rana.

"Taking 10 wickets is a brilliant thing in itself. Only those who are fortunate get a chance to take ten wickets. It takes a lot of hard work. We are just hoping that Anshul has a debut to remember and helps India win the match against England in Manchester," Rana further said